Don’t Look Up. Movie Review and Analysis. 2021 Movie.
Summary of the post
The following summary includes the list of the topics we will cover in our post related to “Don’t look up”
- Introduction
- The Story
- Trailer
- Review and Analysis – (Spoilers Begin)
- Pros, Cons and Final Rating
- Where you can watch it
Don’t Look Up – Introduction
Don’t look up is one of the best movies of 2021. It received four nominations at the 2022 Golden Globes, competing with amazing titles, such as CODA, The Power of the Dog, and Cruella. The film is a powerful satire of our society. Leonardo Di Caprio and Jennifer Lawrence delivered an excellent performance, and their nominees at the Golden Globes are trustable proof.
Why you should watch Don’t Look Up?
If the four nominations are not enough, let us tell you that the movie offers several denounces about our society, politicians, and media. We will tell you more in the analysis section of this post. But, on the other hand, the film is sharp, enlightening and it tries to wake up our minds because we lost our ability to think with our brain and see the reality of what is happening around us.
Details about the movie
| Release Date | December 2021 in the U.S.A. |
| Country | U.S.A. |
| Genre | Drama – Crime – Fantasy |
| Duration | 2 hours and 18minutes |
| Director | Adam McKay |
| Actors | Leonardo Di Caprio (Dr Mindy) – Jennifer Lawrence (Kate Dibiasky) – Meryl Streep (President Orlean) – Cate Blanchett (Brie Evantee) |
Don’t Look Up -The Story
Two astronomers discover a comet orbiting within the solar system. Although the scientific community may be excited, the reality is that the comet will crash on earth precisely in 6 months and 14 days. Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) and her professor Dr Randall Mindy (Leonardo Di Caprio), immediately understand the apocalyptical consequences because the impact will wipe out any form of life from our beloved planet.
Their mission is to inform the president of the United States of America and find a way to change the comet’s trajectory. The world must unite its strengths and save the life from a tragic end.
- How is the world going to react?
- After the comet, what else are our astronomers going to find out?
- And what the movie wants to teach us?
Don’t Look Up -Trailer
Critic Section – Don’t Look Up – Review and Analysis.
(This section contains SPOILERS, we suggested to watch the movie first and then enjoy it.)
We mentioned above the denounces within the movie. The director Adam McKay, and the whole cast, tried everything to wake us up, and let us look not up in the sky but right in front of us, where unscrupulous billionaires rule our planet and our lives, without any right to do so.
Who rules America and the world? Democracy vs Oligarchy.
When Kate and Dr Mindy wait outside the Oval Office to explain the dangerous situation above our heads, they need to wait because the president is busy celebrating her birthday and following up on strategies to increase her public appeal.
Our delusion and frustration rapidly increase when they finally talk to the president. The world will end. But what matters for politicians is voting, power, and ensuring that people don’t understand anything about the issues. The government will act only when they can see a possible advantage for the next election; so that they can increase their consense across the country.
A new character enters the scene when a plan to divert the comet is ready. Of course, involving spectacular fireworks and national heroes. We discover who is really ruling the world: billionaires with secret weapons. Do you want to find out more about the weapons? Keep reading.
The Power of the Data
When president Orlean agrees on the mission, Peter Isherwell, the billionaire CEO of Bash, asks her for an urgent meeting. The president of the U.S.A. must leave her meeting and immediately listen to her “Platinum Eagle Level Donor”.
The people who rule the world are the ones who financially support certain political parties. But there is more because to control the government truly, you must have the data collected to blackmail people.
The dialogue between Peter and Dr Mindy makes us freeze, considering that this is happening also to us. Using the data collected in a disputable way, they can predict the diseases you could develop, profile you, and even guess how you will die with almost 100% precision. Almost, fortunately, because the universe punishes them in Second Nature. As we saw in “The Mitchells vs the Machines,” social media own the world. The film opens our eyes; the media tries to close it.
The shameful work of the media
Our astronomers decide to act because the response provided by the government was useless. Instead of waiting, as we usually do, they inspire us and involve the media to reveal the dangerous discovery. If the political world was shocking because of its corrupted system, the media is its voice. The story about the comet is the last one on the show. The world’s end needs to wait for the latest love story between Riley Bina and DJ Chello.
And if the presenters ask silly and irrelevant questions to Dr Mindy and Dibiasky, the public reaction is another worrying verdict. The people didn’t engage with the story of the comet, even if they are going to die. The film denounces our society’s stupidity, not recognising important news from trash journalism. Crappy journalism is the actual illness of our community. And we can experience it every day in our lives. But it’s not over because the “#launchchallenge” reminds us of the need we have to appear on social media. Like the only survival after the impact, the poor Jason, who despite the fact to be alone, as a first thing after discovering he was alive, was to post a video on Bash asking to like and subscribe. Crazy right? It’s our reality.
However, most of us don’t have anything to say on social media, and they show their stupidity, unfortunately, followed by millions of people. Even Riley (Ariana Grande) is an international star, who should inspire people, but instead, we find out how rude she is to Dr Mindy. Fortunately, she positively completes her character’s arch, reminding us of the proper role of artists: to be an inspiration for their fans and make the world a better place.
It’s the society of appearance
When Dr Mindy and Dibiasky arrive at the TV Studio, the staff’s primary concern is not the risk of the comet and how dangerous it can be but, instead, is to find the best outfits and look for our astronomers. Dr Mindy becomes famous because he looks nice and not for his studies.
At the first meeting between Dibiasky and president Orlean, Jason Orlean points out that Kate didn’t dress up for the meeting, instead of thanking her for the crucial contribution to the world. But there is more because when the president finally decides to take action, she does it spectacularly with fireworks and a racist and horrible “national hero”.
It’s the failure of politicians
If not even death can unite the world, maybe there is no hope at all. America doesn’t want to share the precious minerals with the Chineses and the Russians; therefore, they act alone, but with terrible results. Another metaphor of our actual political situation.
The Russians tried a desperate mission to divert the comet but failed. The Chinese were the ones who informed the Americans that the comet was still intact. What will the world be if all the big powers of planet Eart will work together for once? Sadly inspiring.
Why General Themes charges money for free snacks and drinks?
The film doesn’t save the military. Instead, the military is part of the failure of our society. When Dibiansky and Dr Mindy are waiting outside of the oval office, General Themes brings them food and drinks in exchange for money. He doesn’t care about the comet or what it will cause. The General wants to go home and looks for any excuse to move away.
We think that the film is pointing the finger at the avidity and corruption within the military, and the 20,00 dollars example produces the right effect on the viewers, especially when he replies to Dr Oglethorpe that he doesn’t have change. The General is charging a lot of money for something free because of his avidity and desire for power and easy money.
The movie denounces who should protect us and the law. The army is becoming unreliable and blind in front of what is happening around us, as slave of their interests and greed.
Does the movie save anyone or anything?
Even if it is tough to resist the temptations of the stupid and corrupted society, especially when it looks so beautiful and tempting like the blonde Brie (Cate Blanchett), fortunately, there are still genuine and inspiring characters around us. For example, Dr Mindy taught us how we should use social media to inform people and share meaningful knowledge.
Dr Oglethorpe how to denounce even the president of the U.S.A. if he is not doing his or her job. Kate Dibiasky is the voice out of the choir, always ready to tell the truth and fight for our lives and rights. June is the betrayed wife prepared to forgive because love matters more when looking at death.
Finally, after a horrible beginning, Riley Bina teaches us that we can change and contribute to inform the people and take care of the planet with our knowledge or skills. Ariana’s character is an inspiration for each of us. There is still something good on earth.
The necessary scream of those who ask us to wake up.
The film is a satire of our society. There is a desperate attempt to wake up our minds and let us think with our brains. The truth is that what the movie represents on the screen is actually the reality we are living. We are the protagonists of thousands of “#launchchallenges”; most of us don’t understand anything about politic, economic and other crucial topics.
Unfortunately, a more significant number of users use social media to show their stupidity, posting pouting selfies and sharing videos like the one of the chickens and the dog. We are greedy of likes instead of knowledge. It’s a society that doesn’t have much to say, explain, or engage. It’s a world of appearances and unqualified influencers without a brain or a soul. But we can change as Riley did. In the most beautiful scene, Dr Mindy says:
We need to hear things. What the hell happened to us? How do we even talk to each other? What have we done to ourselves? How do we fix it? The president of the United States is fucking lying. The whole administration lost their fucking mind! And I think we are all gonna die.
Dr Mindy
If this sounds familiar to you, perhaps “Don’t look up” is not just a movie but an inspiring story to share on social media.
Jack Handey’s verse explanation
I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather, not screaming in terror like his passengers.
Jack Handey
This beautiful sentence is the key to explain Dr Mindy and Dibiasky behaviour. They knew about what was going to happen to the world, but when they finished their energies, they decided to shut down the tv and not follow the media’s fake news anymore. So instead, they teach us to focus on our loved ones, care for them, and be grateful for what we have because it could be gone one day.
And our astronomers died peacefully while the greedy ones were screaming. We need to change our world; we don’t need a new one. It’s enough to see what the branterocs did in Second Nature when they discovered the humans. We are not welcome in the space, especially certain oligarchic of our time, who put money and profit above our lives.
Don’t Look Up – Pros and Cons. Final Rating
Pros
Its nomination at the 2022 Golden Globes explains a lot about the meaningful side of Don’t Look Up. It’s a powerful satire, sad and cruel, and it doesn’t leave much space for feelings and emotions. Like in the “relationship” between Dr Mindy and Brie, to be precise. The music is engaging, as well as the performance delivered by Leonardo Di Caprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep, to mention some of the talented cast.
The film is the raw picture of our lost society. It’s a call to wake up before it is too late because we already had several “comets” hitting our world. It’s truly inspiring, and we tried to explain to you why.
A Curiosity
If the movie seems sci-fi and unreal to you, forgive us but you are wrong. The Chicxulub asteroid Jennifer Lawrence’s character mentions hit Earth 66 million years ago in what is now Mexico. The estimated size of the asteroid was 10 kilometers wide (six miles) and resulted in 75% of all life on the planet dying. Known as the dinosaur killer, the asteroid left a crater estimated to be 150 kilometers (93 miles) in diameter and 20 kilometers (12 miles) in depth.
Cons
Don’t look up is a movie of good intentions and sensational artists. But it’s cold. We don’t connect with any of the characters; we couldn’t feel any emotions, if not disgust. The film has a chaotic pace, which seems inconclusive. According to us, “Don’t look up” misses humanity and the feeling of being alive. But, perhaps, this is a stylistic choice of the director Adam McKay.
Our protagonists are people of science, not romantic characters in love with poetry. They are rational until they become irrational because of the negligence of the authorities. The film let us experience the feeling of living our time, where there is no space left for love, emotions, life and the truth.
We are trapped under the rules of a few oligarchs who decide our destiny. And there is only one solution: we need to look up and get back our lives.
Our final rating is
9/10
Where you can watch Don’t Look Up
The movie is currently available on Netflix, but check this link to see where you can watch it in your country.
